The present invention relates to a portable toilet seat, and more particularly, to a portable toilet seat attachable to a hitch receptacle mounted on a vehicle.
A common problem experienced by individuals such as hunters, campers or explorers traveling by car in remote areas is the lack of appropriate toilet facilities, or the lack of knowledge regarding the whereabouts of such facilities. A portable toilet seat that can be easily attached to a hitch receptacle mounted on the car is often a desirable solution when toilet facilities cannot otherwise be located. It is also advantageous to have the ability to collect and properly dispose of any human waste.
Several previous hitch mounted portable toilet seats have been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,023,792; 6,081,941; and 6,125,480. In general, these patents describe toilet seats that are more complex and more difficult to manufacture than is the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,792 describes a multipart toilet seat that includes legs which are pivotally attached to a toilet seat frame and includes a mounting assembly with a plurality of inclined slots for selectively varying the height of the toilet above the ground. Furthermore, the toilet seat shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,480 is somewhat cumbersome requiring both an extension member and a seating frame supporting a separate conventional toilet seat. Finally, the toilet seat described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,941 is more difficult to manufacture than is the present invention, and describes a toilet seat having a seating surface that is not planar because the seat has a shaft portion (or coupling portion) that extends both vertically above the two separate toilet seat members and also into the open area defined by the toilet seat members. Such a seat would be somewhat uncomfortable in use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable toilet seat that can be quickly and easily attached to and detached from the trailer hitch of a vehicle and which provides a stable and generally horizontal seating surface able to accommodate individuals of various sizes.
It is another object of this invention to provide a portable toilet seat that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, requires few parts and little assembly, is lightweight, comfortable, and is easy to use and store.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.